Link driving mechanism for washing machines



Dec. 18, 1928.

1,695,400v w. H. voss LINK DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 2s, 1925 s sheets-sheet i l K L* 1,695,400 W. H. VOSS IIINK DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan.26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 18, 1928.

W. H. VOSS LINK DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Decn 1s, 1928. 1,695,4@0

Filed Jan. 26, 1925 s sheets-sheet 5 Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. VOSS, OF DAVENPORT, lIOXTA. Y

LINK DRIVING'MEGHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

Application filed January This invention relates to operating mechanism for washing machine tubs and similar ap Jaratus.

n general, the invention relates to certain improvements in the details of construction of the apparatus disclosed in my pending application, Serial Noj631f193, filed April 12, 1923.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction of the oscillatable link member by which the source of power from the motor or other prime mover is transmitted to the washing machine tub or other power driven member.

A further object of my invention is to provide a more simple and compact link con-V struction which will not only permit the facile assembly of the link but also the power transmitting levers which connect thereto and to the control rod for adjusting the throw of the tub. A further object is to provide an improved constructional arrangement for enclosing the sides of the'tub and for permitting the control handle for the i link adjusting mechanism to project out wardly through the side of the tub to an accessible control position; to provide'these and other features which will be more readily apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a sider View partly in section and partly broken away showing the interior driving mechanism for the tub.

Figure 2 is a plan view taken ona section Y line through Figure 1 the tub.

Figure 3 isy a sectional view through the oscillating links and the control member.

Figure 4 is a side View of the oscillating link and the connections to the tub and control members. Y

Figure 5 is a somewhat similar view showing the control member shifted to the upper portion of the oscillating links, and

Figure 6 is a. perspective view of the unl assembled link member.

' Referring now to the-drawings in detail, the washing machine comprises the usual immediately vbelow frame work consisting of the four uprightv posts preferably arranged in the form of a square'boX-like frame. These corner posts` which are preferably of L-shapcd formation are suitably braced by cross supports 5, 6,7, S and 9 whereby to provide a rigid structure on which the operating mechanism may 26, `1925. Serial N'o. 4,671.

be rigidly mounted. ln addition a diagonal support 10 is provided vso that a short supj port 11 hereinafter referred to may be rigidly attached thereto at the point 12. As

shown in Figure 1, the support for the driving mechanism is'borne bythe side posts at a suiiicient elevation to permit the motor M and large driving lwheel to depend there-y from. The two top frame supports 13 ofy the tub and its corresponding opposed memz bers 6 and 8 from across-shaftv 16 in such a manner as to depend therefrom, asshown in my prior application yhereinbefore. set forth. The motor is provided with a pulley 17, driving a belt 18 running over a large driving wheel 19. This wheel is fixed .to a shaft 20 having its bearings on the crossf` bars 6 and 9 respectively. The shaft 2O is provided with a small pinion `21 meshing with a large wheel 22 ona shaft 22 journaled on the cross-bar 9 and in a bearing 22 formedin one of the side wallmembers. v.

The wheel 22'is providedwit-h a crank 23 to which is pivoted a rod 24. VInasmuch as the constructional arrangementv of the motor and gearing vand its mountings is dis- Y closed in my before mentioned pending application, no furtherallusion will be made thereto.

Y The link` driving mechanism which forms one ofthe features of this present invention is oseillatably mounted on the frame supports and is adapted ,to be driven by the reciprocable connecting rod 24 and in turn forms a driving connection with the rockable tub and forms an element of a power controlling,` power *transmitting member interposed between the prime mover and the oscillatable tub. In the present invention the cross bars S and 11 are provided with ico suitable bearings 25 and 26 to receive the oppositely extcndincr axles or pivotalmembers of the link. shown in Figure 6 of the drawings.

My improved.oscillatl ble link is preferably composed of two frames or castings 30 The assembled link isV llo and 31, each ot which is formed With ka flange 32 and a laterally extending' plate 33 so that When the frames are bolted together by means ot bolts 34 the plates`33 Will bel rigidly maintained in sp ced position. Each of the plate portions et the trame is provided at its bottom and at its exterior face with an outwardly extending lug 35 bearingn an axle or shaft 36 which forms the aXis of oscillation of the link. In addition cach pla-te is provided With a longitudinally extending slot 37 which extends from a point coincident with the axles ot oscillation 36 of the link upwardly substantially to the top ot the plate. These slots 3T are in register. In addition one of the plates is provided with an ear 38 which forms a pivotal con-` nection with the driving' rod 24. Y By means of'this connection when the rod 24 is reciprocated by Vmeans of the gears 22 the link will be oscillated about its oppositely extending axles 36 which as before stated are journaled, in the spaced bearings 25 and 26.

Y A pin 3,8 extends across the space between the two plates 30 and 31 with its ends lying1 in the registering slots 37. A lever 39 is pivoted around the central. portion 'et' this pin and'is connected at its other end at 40 to the base of the tub. Means is provided for shifting pin 33 along,r the slot 37 and longitudinally of the link thereby to guide the travel ot the pin 33 as the link is os cillated and thereby vary the throw of the tub from an extreme position at which the pin 38V is at the upper end of the slot as shown in Figure 5 to another extreme posi' tion wherein the pin 38 is at the bottom of the slot and coincident with the axis of oscillation 36 of thelink all shown in Figure 4. This means comprises a rod 41 pivotally disposed on pin 38 between the tur-cations of lever 39 as shown in Figure 3. rlhe bottom portion ot' rod 41 is pivoted as at 41 to a rod 43 which is bent at right angles to itself as at 44 andV is journaled in blocks 45A carried on the cross-bars 6 and 8. rlhe other end of this rod 44 terminates in a collar 46 formed with an .integral upwardly extending linger 47 having integral therewith a halt collar 48 which in conjunction With ,a similarly formed half-.collar 49 forms a detachable connection to the bottom of a control rod 50. Thus by shitting this control rod 50 the rod 44 will be turned in its bearing 45 and through the pivotal connection 46 and the'pivetal connection with the pin 38 shifts the pin 38 lengthwise of the slot 37.` It is to be noted that when the pinV 38 is in the lowerniost position as shown in Figure 4, the link free to oscillate Without in any Way reciprocating` the rods 43 and 44 and it is likewise to be noted that when the pin 38 is in the upper portion of the slot.` as shown in Figure 5, the pivotal pin 41 Will be coincident with the sides are pcrr'anently closed by sheet metal coverings 53 and 59 While the tivo remaining` sides are covered by doors 50 ano 51 which are pre'erabluv pivoted to the frame member so as to be hinged thereon. These hinges are shown at 52. Any desirable type of latch 'for niaintaining` these doors in locked position inay'benscd. ln the present invention each et the doors provided with latch 53 Which .is adapted to be turned so that a tongue 54 engages behind one of the iframe members or cross supports. By opening these doors 50 and 51 access may be had to the uw'. driving mechanism of the Washing; machine.

ll or the purpose ot permitting` the control rod 50 to project upwardly to a point near the upper oit the tub7 the side 59 oi the tub isprovided with an arcuatev slot 54 through which the rod 50 projects. 'llie upper end of this rod 50 is provided with a handle and the upper shank ol.' therod 50 is adapted to engage retaining grooves disposed inblocks 56 and 57 on the crosssupports 13. 'It desired, `any number of these grooves maybe arranged se that the control rod 50 can be held in any intermediate position. y Y V.In operating1 the mechanism herein described, the motor drives a large pulley 19 by means ot the belt 13 and pulley 19in turn drives the lower gear 22 through the small pinion 2l.- VA crank armon Vthe gear 22 in turn reciprocates rod 24 which Vby means of its pivotal connection with the link constantly oscillates the link about its axis of oscillation 36. Y

ld/ith the driving mechanism in thel posi.- tion shown in Figures l and 4 of thedrayvings, it must be' evident that no power is transmitted to the Washing machine tub because the pin 38 is coincident vvith the axis ot oscillation oit the constantly oscillating link and since pin 38 not moved arcuately. the connecting lever 39 `Will not be moved.

For the saine reason control rods 41 43 -vnll not be moved. Hence no motion will be communicated back to the control rod 50. lt it be desired to startthe Washing machine tub in oscillation, the control rod is moved from the position shovvn in Figure 1 tothe right in which event the pin 33 is moved upwardly in the slot 37 by means ot the control rods 43 and 41 and the lever 39 is immediately given a throw corresponding' to the height of adjustment of pin 38 in the slot 37. As the pin 38 is moved upwardly along the slot the throw of the tub is gradually increased until the pin reaches the end oi the slot as shown in Figure 5 which corresponds to the high speed or maximum rocking of the tub. In this position the pivotal pin Ill connecting the control rod il to the control rod 4:3 is coincident with the axis ol oscillation oit the link so that no motion is communicated to the control rod 43. From an inspection oi' Figure 8 ot rthe drawings, it will be noted that by reason of the spaced journals 25 and 26 and the improved construction ot links wherein it is composed of two halves bolted together as at 34 and each half'provided with an outwardly extending pivot 36 adapted to be carried by these bearings 25 and 26, all reactive thrust is adequately taken care of and a very durable and steady structure provided. In addition, this arrangement pro* vides great. simplicity in the *nauuiactin-ingl and in assembling operation. Likewise the arrangement ot the interiittinp; forked control rod enveloping the inner pivotal. end

oi the lever 39 and bearing` on the pivotal pin 3S disposed 1n the slot 37 also provides a compact construction.

It must be manifest that other constructional details are within the contemplation of the broad spirit of this invention.

tlavingthus described my invention, I claim: l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a support, a tub shitta'bly mounted thereon, a link having` bearing 'forming an axis ot oscillation, said link being` :termed of two plates spaced apart and provided with registering slots extending longitudinally thereof from said axis ot 0scillation, a pin extending across said plates therebetween with its ends lying in said slots,`a rod having a iorlr'pivoted to said pin and to the tub, a control red pivoted to said pin between the litureuions ot said fork and means -for oscillating` said linlr.

2. In a washing,` machine, tliecombination of a supfport,a tub roclrably mountedy thereon, a link having bearing` forming an axis otL oscillation, said linll: being :formed ot two plates, portions et said plat-es being spaced apart, corresponding longitudinal edges ot said plates being secured teg, ;f ther,

correspondingly located longitudinal slots in said plates, a pin ,extending across said plates therebetween with its ends lying in said slots,y a rod having a fork pivoted to said pin and to the tub, a control rod pivoted to said pin between the urcatic-iis ot said forli and means tor oscillating' said linl.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribek my naine to this specification.

WILLIAM ii. Voss 

